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german soft pretzels

(3)
cheries001 avatar
Blue Ribbon Recipe by
Cherie Szilvagyi
@cheries001
Deckerville, MI

Steven, my son, is quite the chef nowadays and has taken numerous awards, including Chef of the Year and National Salute to Excellence awards. Wonder if he remembers as a teenager making this recipe with his friends? Soft, large pretzels that just require a little mustard to be a hit with any family.

Blue Ribbon Recipe

If you love to purchase pretzels at the mall or airport, these are super easy to make at home and just as good. They're slightly crisp outside, while the inside is soft and billowy. Dusted with salt enhances the flavor of these pretzels. We dipped them in mustard, but a cheese sauce would also be delish. Don't worry if the dough appears dry when it's mixed. After it's kneaded, the dough comes together. Make sure to eat these pretzels while they're fresh and warm.

— The Test Kitchen @kitchencrew
(3)
yield 4 Large Soft Pretzels
prep time 20 Min
cook time 10 Min
method Bake

Ingredients For german soft pretzels

  • PRETZEL DOUGH
  • 3/4 c
    lukewarm water
  • 1 1/2 tsp
    yeast
  • 1 Tbsp
    sugar
  • 2 c
    all-purpose flour
  • EGG WASH
  • 1 lg
    egg
  • 1 Tbsp
    water
  • coarse salt
  • VARIATION
  • 1 Tbsp
    sugar
  • cinnamon to taste

How To Make german soft pretzels

Test Kitchen Tips
If you want a fluffier pretzel, after forming the pretzels, cover them with a towel and let them double in size. Then bake. Also, we had to bake ours for 5 minutes more (total of 15 minutes).
  • Water, sugar, and yeast in a bowl.
    1
    Mix sugar and water. You want enough sugar in the water to feed the yeast but go to your taste. Sprinkle yeast on top and let rise until foamy.
  • Stirring in flour.
    2
    Add flour and stir until the dough forms a ball.
  • Kneading the dough.
    3
    Place the dough on a lightly floured surface and knead until the dough is smooth and not sticky.
  • Dough divided into 4 pieces.
    4
    Divide dough into 4 pieces.
  • Piece of dough rolled out long.
    5
    Roll each piece of dough into a long snake about 1/2 inch thick and 15 inches long.
  • Rolled out dough shaped into a horseshoe.
    6
    Make into a pretzel shape. Make a horseshoe with the open end facing you.
  • Twisting end of dough.
    7
    With the open ends, cross it one time. Then cross again.
  • Dough folded to form a pretzel shape.
    8
    Pull the open ends to the top making a pretzel shape.
  • Pretzels on a baking sheet.
    9
    Place on greased baking sheet about 2 inches apart.
  • Water and egg in a small bowl.
    10
    Combine the egg with water.
  • Brushing egg wash on the pretzels.
    11
    Brush egg wash on top of pretzels.
  • Sprinkling pretzel with salt.
    12
    Sprinkle with salt.
  • Baked pretzels out of the oven.
    13
    Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes until golden brown.
  • 14
    Variation: Sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon for that sweet pretzel taste.
  • Last Step: Don't forget to share! Make all your friends drool by posting a picture of your finished recipe on your favorite social network. And don't forget to tag Just A Pinch and include #justapinchrecipes so we can see it too!
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